Priceless

“Yup. But he’s all we’ve got now. Suppose you want to know where to go looking for the new guy?”
    I stood up and brushed crumbs off my lap. “Yes, doubly so now.”
    Dox looked up at me, his eyes solemn. “Thought you didn’t Track adults.”
    “Not going to Track them, Dox, just going to ask a few questions. If I have to work with this Doran, then fine. But I’d rather work with someone I know and can trust like Louisa.”
    “Well then.” Dox stood and led me out of his kitchen, Alex right behind us. “Here’s his address.” He handed me a business card.
    My eyebrows climbed near into my hairline. “He’s handing out business cards?”
    Dox smiled down at me and patted my head. “Wait till you meet him, Rylee. I’m betting you two are going to just” —he clapped his hands together— “hit it off.” It was the twinkle in his eye that told me this Doran would be trouble. But I went anyway. I needed him to help me find India, no matter how much trouble he was going to be.

~12~
    A lex was not happy I left him with Dox while I went on without him to meet with Doran. He whined and cried, whimpered, and finally started howling. I felt awful, knowing how submissive and downright needy he was. That is, until Dox pulled out another pan of boggart brownies, and Alex suddenly forgot all about me.
    I pulled out of the driveway. I was headed to Shawnee road, on the far east side of town. Dusk fell and shadows darkened the road as I pulled up to where Doran was supposed to be. Sitting in my Jeep, I looked out over the empty lot. At first glance, it was nothing more than an overgrown weed garden, one lone attempt at a cactus in the far right corner, miserable excuses for houses on either side of the mid-sized lot, and no actual house of any sort. I glanced at the realtor posting out front and checked it against what Dox had given me. It matched up. Which could only mean one thing.
    I focused on my second sight, narrowing my eyes, and saw the flicker of the veil cross my vision. When I opened my eyes fully, there was a massive adobe house with a beautiful herb garden, two small fountains in the shape of fish spouting water out their mouths and into a pond with koi swimming lazily about. Swanky for this part of town, even if it was on the other side of the veil.
    “How the hell did you manage this?” I asked no one in particular. Which is why I was startled to get an answer.
    “Hard work. A little luck. Good timing.”
    I started as a body materialized behind the voice and a young man, no older than myself, was suddenly sitting on the passenger seat. Good thing indeed I hadn’t brought Alex with me. Doran was an average build. It was hard to distinguish his height while sitting, but I guessed he was about my height. White blond hair stuck straight up as if magnetized, the tips dyed black. It was a sharp contrast for his dark green eyes that spoke of humour and fun, not magic and wisdom. Two piercings over his left eyebrow and one in the right side of his lower lip made him look a bit like a punk rocker. I had a very hard time seeing him as a shaman.
    I composed myself as fast as I could. “You must be Doran.”
    He smiled, a big open grin splitting his face from ear to ear. “Yes. And those beautiful eyes must make you Rylee.”
    I blinked, not sure how to react. Most people didn’t like my eyes, too many colours to be normal.
    Clearing my throat, I nodded. “I need help with tracing a kid on the other side of the veil, but I don’t know how deep she’s been taken or which entry point to use.”
    Doran shrugged. “Which one? Isn’t that always the question?”“ For a price, of course.” His eyes darkened. “The deep levels on the other side of the veil are not very welcoming right now. Perhaps you’d be better off forgetting about this kid.”
    Deep levels? What was he talking about? I didn’t ask, though, as I knew it would only cost more and it likely didn’t matter.
    “How much?” I chose to ignore his warning. Shamans were like that, always full of doom and gloom, and in that at least, he was no different.
    “The price is steep, I’m not sure you will be willing to pay it.” He lifted an eyebrow, the two rings catching the last of the light from the setting sun through the windshield. “Come in, it’s far more cozy in my home.”
    Leaving the safety and additional weapons in my Jeep, I followed him into his territory after a quick glance around to be sure no one was looking.